Films often inspire my travels. I saw “Avatar” when it came out in 2009. Despite the obvious inspiration in the film, that wasn’t what moved me to visit China’s floating spires at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. It was actually another film, a documentary, about BASE jumpers. BASE jumpers are those crazy people in squirrel suits who…
Tucked away on a narrow hillside road is the charming No. 5 Valley B&B in Yangjiajie, China. The B&B is just 2 km from the breathtaking national park that inspired the movie “Avatar” with its mystical mountains. No. 5 Valley was constructed in July 2015 and is the B&B for R&R — a rural idyllic…
It’s not every day you see a man lying face down in a ditch with blood trickling down his head. Next to him an old woman wailed in despair. Three or four men crowded around but didn’t touch the man whom I could see was still breathing. We were being driven in a car past…
Golden Hour is the 60 minutes or so before the sun sets. The soft low light is ultra flattering on the face and skin looks great with a golden hue. Get your subject to face the setting sun, which helps brighten the skin and eyes (and the model will thank you for not shooting in harsh, mid-day sun). Bring…
Now that you’ve seen the trailer for my film, “American Soil, Chamorro Soul,“ I want to give you a behind-the-scenes tour of the production. Despite the fact that as a producer and director, I’m doing just about everything, I love working with a small cast and crew. As you will see, we’re also shooting without a…
Watch on Vimeo #ChamorroFilm I’ve spent the last six months writing, fundraising, casting, hiring, shooting, editing, and promoting “American Soil, Chamorro Soul.” It’s been one of the biggest learning experiences of my life because, as you may know, this is my first documentary film. Thank you to the following sponsors for making this possible: Docomo…
Pretty much the most touristy thing you can do in Iceland, Blue Lagoon is still a must-experience stop. The lagoon is tucked into a part of town that looks positively post-Apocalyptic with piles of black volcanic rubble. The drive out there is a bit spooky, but you didn’t come to Iceland to see anything banal,…
You may have read on The Guam Guide (my other travel website) that airfare to Guam plunged to $744 round-trip. Just to put that in perspective, I’ve never seen it below $1,100 and the fare averages $1,600! It’s a great time to travel from the U.S. to Guam (my home). Guam is an English-speaking U.S….
God, I love my island. Some people might take issue with the possessive “my island” but not only have I made Guam my home for the last six years, I’ve invested in the community through my secular work, volunteer service, and friendships. I’ve made it my life’s work to promote Guam because I have been…
What is close, but off the beaten path; urban, but otherworldly? The volcanic craters in Reykjavik. Norðurflug Helicopter Tours was kind enough to sponsor a Reykjavik Summit Tour on our last of nine days in Iceland. I wasn’t going to fly all the way from Guam to Iceland and not get an aerial view. The tour starts with…
